Kevin Rudd to stay put in politics

KEVIN Rudd has no plans for a career change into industry or to return to being a diplomat because his future is in politics and says it's "a matter for others" if he is on the backbench or elsewhere.

In his new monthly interview with 3AW's Neil Mitchell, the former prime minister said he still had "many, many things" to do and was "fully engaged with a whole bunch of stuff at the moment".

Mr Rudd, who went to the backbench in February after Julia Gillard thrashed him in a leadership ballot, said he still had a contribution to make representing his Brisbane community.

"I think what I'm cut out for in Australian public life is doing what I am doing as a Member of Parliament," he said.

"Nothing is forever but as far as I can predict in my own future it's being a Member of Parliament."

He said there was more to be done with the health reform plan he championed as PM and he was "pretty passionate" about preparing kids for the jobs of the future by encouraging them to learn Chinese and Indonesian.

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Comments on this story

Ben Posted at 12:28 AM December 05, 2012

Kevin Kevin Kevin, Federal Labor and the Unions only used you. Julia does not deserve the position and if I was you, I would not support them.

Black and white of Bris Posted at 12:26 AM December 05, 2012

I've never seen a politician who just "lies down and take it" quite like Kevin. Does he think he'll have a job after next election?

John Frazer of Queensland Posted at 12:16 AM December 05, 2012

Looks like he should have hung them up long ago .... Mr Rudd said when he no longer had anything to contribute he would "hang up the pads".

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